🚗 Actions for Today

TOGETHER WITH

I (Chris) saw a Beaver Toyota temp tag in Nashville the other day. It was like seeing a celebrity in person for me. Because I’m weird, but also because I’ve been believing in everything dealerships can be since I wrote about Beaver Toyota of Cumming in one of my first few months with ASOTU.

Years later, we actually went to their store to see all the goodness up close and brought cameras.

Check out More than Cars Episode 2: Beaver Toyota of Cumming

Keep Pushing Back
-Paul, Kyle, Chris & Kristi

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THE NEWS

Tariffs with Brian Kramer, Tesla Trouble, and GM’s Q1 Jump

🔧 Tariffs Hit, Dealers Hustle

Starting April 3, 25% tariffs on imported vehicles and parts will hit hard. Dealers are urged to act now: prioritize trade-ins to offset inventory disruptions, shorten market-trend windows to 7–14 days, rework reconditioning estimates to absorb parts cost hikes, and use Cars.com’s “American Made” tool to guide sourcing.

Most importantly, get ahead of customer conversations before the price hikes spark confusion—or worse, complaints.

Wild how the people with nothing to do but panic really want everybody else to panic too. We’re glad folks like Brian are urging positive actions.

📉 Tesla’s $460B Meltdown

Tesla stock dropped 36% in Q1 amid slumping sales, tariff fears, and political backlash from Elon Musk’s White House role.

For dealers, the takeaway isn’t just Tesla’s pain—it’s customer hesitation. EV buyers are jittery, and this is a golden opportunity for traditional brands to earn trust, offer stability, and win back market share from the electric disruptors.

The other day I heard somebody call an Electric F-150 an “EV” and not a “Ford Tesla.” Times are changing.

📈 GM Outpaces Everyone—Including the Tariffs

GM posted a 17% sales jump in Q1, thanks to a well-rounded portfolio of EVs, crossovers, and SUVs. Chevy is now the fastest-growing EV brand, and Cadillac saw its best Q1 since 2008. As customers rush to buy before tariffs hit, dealers can ride the wave by leaning into GM’s broad lineup, affordable pricing, and new EV options.

The best way to beat tariffs? Sell before they do. Why didn’t everybody think of that??

➕ More

Read plenty more in our Daily News Digest

🥊 Quick Hits

• They’re making more movies about the Beatles. Whatever sells, right Sony? 🎸 

• A coin-sized battery powered by nuclear power can last about 50 years. ⚠️ 

• Open Jobs are in line with a healthy but decelerating economy 🧑‍🏭 

TOGETHER WITH SPACE AUTO

How Dealers Actually Sell Cars

Let’s be honest…

Dealers don’t need another tool, they need a better way actually to sell cars. Enter Space Auto: the unified platform that wraps your website, digital retail, and CRM into one sleek, lightning-fast package. Fewer plugins, more deals, happier customers. It’s giving ease, speed, and control, and it’s giving dealers their time back (like, 2.3 hours per day).

We’re hyped to have Nick Askew joining the “SEO to GEO” panel at ASOTU CON 2025 to break down what really drives traffic and conversions.

This ain’t theory. It’s what’s next.

DATA & INSIGHT

One Article’s Ad Trends for 2025

We found this article on 2025 ad trends.

It’s long. Like, “bring a bookmark” long.

So we pulled some good stuff.

• Authenticity wins. Skip the glossy OEM polish and use real people, real stories, and UGC from your customers and community.

• Short-form vertical video is still king. Walkarounds, service tips, techs being techs, just hit record, keep it tight, and post it.

• Micro-influencers deliver ROI. Find local folks with 10–100k followers who actually care about your community. Not a celeb. Not your cousin.

• First-party data is gold. Build your email list. Engage your site visitors. Ask good questions.

• Omnichannel isn’t optional. Make your ads, showroom, and online experience feel like one brand. One voice.

• Click-to-watch video ads outperform autoplay. Let people opt in. They’ll stick around longer.

• Voice search is growing. Update your SEO to match how people talk, not how marketers write.

Which of these are you already doing?
Which ones are a “we’ve been meaning to…”?

Let us know what hits and what flops in your world.

AROUND THE ASOTU-VERSE

ASOTU CON 2025 🎟️ 

Tariffs or Not, Acquiring Used Inventory Is A Critical Skill in 2025 and Beyond.

ASOTU CON 2025 walks the line between multi-scope and meaningful depth.

Our agenda covers the most important topics in Retail Auto, and we do it in partnership with people who are experts.

So, you'll learn acqustion from peple who eat, sleep, and breath acquisition.

And hey, who couldn't use a few more high-quality used vehicles in their inventory?

Grab your ticket now.

🔁 Today in History

• 1902 – "Electric Theatre", the first full-time movie theater in the United States, opens in Los Angeles. 🎭️ 

• 1956 – As the World Turns and The Edge of Night premiere on CBS. The two soaps become the first daytime dramas to debut in the 30-minute format. 📺️ 

• 1973 – Launch of the LexisNexis computerized legal research service. 🚀